The Vice-President of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) Alhaji Shehu Dikko has taken out time to explain why the football body is opposed to the idea of having players in the senior national team play for the U23s, who will represent Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Already first choice goalkeeper Francis Uzoho has been ruled out of the team despite the fact that he is still within the age limit although reports has it that Bordeaux wing forward Samuel Kalu will captain the team.
Samuel Chukwueze will also be a part of the team just like Victor Osimhen but the NFF are insisting on having more players who are yet to be called up to the Super Eagles to make up the squad for the U23s ahead of their engagements next year.
” When you look at our national team now, we have players who are within the age bracket for the Olympic team. Hence calling them to the team will hamper the chances of discovering other talented players who are not yet in the Super Eagles”, Dikko told Owngoalnigeria.com.
” There are so many Nigerian players in Europe who are good enough for the U23s even in the Nigeria Professional Football League ( NPFL) , so we will rather encourage the coaches to field them than have players drop from the Super Eagles to play for the U23s. Although we will leave room for some exceptions “, he concluded.
